The Voiceless Minority

       Hi guys. This blog will go a little off format. I know this blog is designed to talk about disability issues, and this one will cover a few personal details as you all seem to have responded well to the last blog, where I told a little bit of my personal story. That gave me the idea for this one.         A new school year is about to begin. My baby sister is finally growing up! She moved into college dorms this weekend, and that hit me interestingly. I know it's not a very good description, but it's the best way I can describe it. I have two Bachelor's degrees, and I'm working on my third. People think that's so impressive and amazing, but I look at this little seventeen-year-old genius (yes, I said seventeen), and I wonder, what am I doing with my life? She is already certified with 90 hours of preschool assistance that translates into some certificate in Maryland. Sorry, Kim. I don't remember all the d...

  “On the one hand, she was viscerally aware of what polio had done to her body and of the day-to-day realities of living with a disability. But she was also aware of what she called “a gentleman’s agreement” at home and at school to pretend that her disability didn’t exist.”         This is a quote from chapter 1 of Fred Pelka’s book  What We Have Done: An Oral History of the Disability Rights Movements.  This particular quote is a part of the Childhood chapter, and he’s introducing Corbett O’ Toole. In the pages following this quote, Corbett O’ Toole’s interview describes a fundamental problem still relevant in society today--that of identity.         As we progress from childhood into adulthood, we struggle to find our identity. We strive to no longer be perceived as so-and-so’s child but rather our independent person. This is no different, no matter your race, religion, sexual orienta...

So it’s been a while since I’ve written. I can’t say precisely why, but recently I’ve gotten inspiration back. I’m reading a great book by Fred Pelka, the first global history of the Disability Rights Movement that is actually told by people there. It is called  What We Have Done: An Oral History of the Disability Rights Movement . This book does a great job of two things: teaching someone who is disabled more about their movement because, sadly, I am not well informed, and secondly, backing it up with scholarly research. However, it’s this book and recent conversations that have caused me to write this blog.         There are several perceptions of disability but one perception of disability that irritates the disability community and me in particular. Fred Pelka has the medical model of disability. Rather than using this technical term, I refer to it as the “need to fix what is not broken.” Often in my life, I have encountered both person...

  On July 26, 1990, a quiet minority found their voice. President George Herbert Walker Bush would sign into law the most comprehensive disability rights legislation to date 1 . However, the Americans with Disabilities Act was just the culmination of a silent minority struggle to be heard.  This struggle is not often recognized. Since this blog is designed to empower people with disabilities and educate others, it would be inappropriate not to examine the Disability Rights Movement's history. For a group to have a powerful voice, they must understand their roots. In terms of the disability rights movement, it is important to examine the key figures involved and critical events and milestones within the training and the movement's goals up until the present day. The term disability is defined as "lack of adequate power, strength, or physical or mental ability; incapacity"  2 Initially, the term eugenics was coined by Sir Francis Galton in 1883 in his book  Ess...

Disabled and can’t work? Call xxx-xxx-and-we-will-get-the money-you-deserve-at-no-fee-unless-we-win-your-case. I saw this ad for a law firm that will remain nameless late last night as I was browsing my Cable, and it raised an interesting question in my mind. Are these ads another way to perpetuate stereotypes of disability? I was not convinced one way or another until this morning I saw one of those ads that claimed the following: “Does your child has a birth injury?” And then listed several, including my disability. The ad went on to say that the disabilities entitled the persons concerned to large sums of money. Then they guaranteed that they would help advocate for that money. After seeing both of these ads, it raised a profoundly disturbing question. Why do we perceive disability as so weak? This goes back to my terminology debates. In my opinion, but quite simply, I believe we perceive disability as a weakness rather than an obstacle. This is by the way we address it.  ...

  So, it's been about a week or so since I last posted.  Since then, I've gotten older.  I had my 27 th  birthday, which was a quiet one this year.  One of the more unexpected gifts that I got was a  Voiceless Minority  T-shirt. It looks pretty awesome.  I will soon post pictures, thanks to my family for getting it for me.  Speaking of family, it due to recent conversations that family and disability will be the subject of this post.              I am not a psychologist, even though I took a few classes here and there.  However, I do believe it is human nature to want offspring. Our lives are only a blip on the cosmic radar.  It is through offspring that one leaves impressions and legacies behind.  This blog will not discuss how there is an overwhelming number of disabled children in America that need to be adopted, even ...

   So usually, I don’t follow up blog after blog. My typical average is about two a week. I am willing to give you guys enough time to process the blog because I am not writing about the latest fashion trend or celebrity gossip but essential issues that matter. However, today I can’t help but note one.  A friend of mine tagged me in a link on Facebook. Curiously, I clicked on the link, and it was a link to a news website. The article, which was published by the site RT.com, told a sad story. It was similar to the story I wrote about earlier in this blog concerning the little boy being excluded from a photo. This story, though, hit me close to home.        I hold two degrees, one of which is in History. A lot of History can be seen in museums. Museums are one of the few public attractions that people can enjoy for little to no cost while also learning something in the process. The R.T. article told a heart-breaking story o...